Small house, big changes in Marina del Rey

Caption

Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times

Maria Torres and Joe Borst, center, sit with Robert Sweet at the outdoor dining room just off of the newly expanded living room. Because of their budget, Sweet cut standard dog-eared cedar fence boards and installed them horizontally for more of custom look, and sliding glass doors were used instead of a costly folding NanaWall with the thought that the latter could be added in the future.

Maria Torres and Joe Borst, center, sit with Robert Sweet at the outdoor dining room just off of the newly expanded living room. Because of their budget, Sweet cut standard dog-eared cedar fence boards and installed them horizontally for more of custom look, and sliding glass doors were used instead of a costly folding NanaWall with the thought that the latter could be added in the future. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Trying to make the most of a rundown 1,200 square-foot house in Marina del Rey, Joe Borst and Maria Torres enlisted the help of Robert Sweet of the design-build firm Ras-a. The result: a light and bright space that feels much bigger even though the house's footprint didn't change.